Container, especially soap box



Ma c 29, 1 0 H. POHL 2,930,160

CONTAINER, ESPECIALLY SOAP BOX Filed March 27, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 30'23 wvavron ATTYS.

March 29, 1960 H. POHL 2,930,160

CONTAINER, ESPECIALLY SOAP BOX Filed March 27, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR 1%; ans P0/7] ATTYS.

March 29, 1960 H. POHL $930,160

CONTAINER, ESPECIALLY SOAP BOX Filed March 27, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ha175 PM] States This invention relates to a container comprising a basetray and a cover tray which can be fitted into each other,

' atent more particularly to a box for holding small-size (:om-

modities, e.g. a piece of soap, a safety-razor, etc.

In the case of, the conventional containers of the type mentioned, thecover of the container can be fitted into the base part by turning thecover about a fixed trunnion. For holding the cover in closed and openedposition, the trunnion is provided with appropriately arranged stops.With this type of tiltability of the cover into the base, it is notpossible that an article lying in the base tray be scooped up, as with ashovel, by 'the cover as it is tilted and be moved into display positionfor removal. rectly in the cavity of the tiltable cover. Moreover, it isnot possible in case of the known container to give the parts of thecontainer the conventional kit-like shape of soap boxes or the like.

t is an object of the invention to provide an ordinar container, e.g. asoap box, with means which, as the box is opened, move the articleenclosed therein into a convenient position for, removal without thenecessity The article must rather be fastened diof forcibly bending thewalls of the container or without the necessity that a third part, e.g.a supporting tray for the soap, be present. I I

According to the invention, this problem is solved by the fact that thetwo parts of the container capable of being fitted into each other arerotatable with respect to each other and are arranged in a manner as tobe inwardly displaceable about one of the lower edges of the smallercontainer part. When'in closed position,

the smaller container part (cover'tray) received in the greatercontainer part (base) is seated by means of two supporting surfaces.also the telescoping process, at least one of the parts of the containeris provided with a curved section about which the two parts roll offagainst each other. In this 'manner, a telescoping container is obtainedwhich, by

means of the smaller container part received in the greater part,permits the article lying in the other container part to be scoopedfrombelow as with a shovel during the telescoping process and to be:moved'into the inverted upper part which is received'in the base trayand in which the articleis. now freely accessible for removal. Thishas-the advantage that, as the. container is opened, a special place forthe invertable cover tray is not required,;the latter being fitteddirectly into-the base tray. Moreover, for inverting thecover tray, thearticle need not be taken out but is grasped, as with a shovel, by thecover tray to be fitted into the base tray and moved into the cavity ofthe inverted, cover tray. The reverse process takes place as thecontainer is closed. 7 I i For securing the cover in its-closedposition; a supporting surface in form of a b'ladernay be provided atFor the rotating process which is i $39,361)? Patented Mar. 29, 19 0 icesupporting surface may be formed by a stop provided in the interior ofthe base tray at its rear wall. On this stop, the shovel edge of thecover received in the base takes support in its final position.Moreover, the supporting surface may be formed by an abutment barprovided at the end walls of the container part, or by a projection.providedat an end wall, having preferably hemispherical shape andengaging with a corresponding recess of the adjacent end wall. Thecurved member guiding the rotary and sliding motion for the cover may beformed by a rounded section located in the greater container partbetween the bottom and the rear wall. The curved guide for the covertray to be fitted into the base may also be provided in such a mannerthat one of the Walls of the cover tray receivable in'the base, in

its section located above the rotary edge, is given :a

curved and preferably a cylindrical shape on its outer face. Moreover,the front wall of the container part received in the basemay also begiven a segmento-cylinv that one of the front or rear wallsv of thecontainer is,

lower than the opposite wall. This difference in height of the wallspartially replaces the arrangement of a @Urved shape of the walls of the.coverjt'ray.

7 The invention is hereinafter illustrated by several em.- bodimentswith reference to the appended drawings in which figs. 14 show oneembodiment of the object of the invention, Fig. l being an endelevational view of the closed container; Fig. 2, in its upper half,being a top plan view of the container shownin Fig. 1 and, in its lowerhalf, a top plan view of the base tray;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container shown. in Fig. l withthe cover in half-opened position; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional viewsimilar to that of Fig, 3, but with the cover in fully opened position;

' Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of a simplified embodiment ofthecontainer of the invention;

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are cross-sectional views of three further difierentembodiments of the container. of the in-, vention;

'Figs. 9-14 illustrate astill further embodiment, 'Fig. 9 being an endelevational view of'the container in closed position; Figs. 10, 11, and12 showing different phases when inverting the cover tray with the basetray shown as across-sectional view'and with thebasef tray of Fig. 12

the rotary wall of the cover, said blade extending out-.,

wardly and simultaneously serving as a grip. A further being modified;Fig. '13 being a .view in the direction of j the arrow XIII-XII I ofFig. 10 with the cover lifted and the base trayshown in cross-sectionalview, and Fig. 14 being a fragmentary top planview of the containershOWninjFig. 9: H I.

Figs. 15 and1 6 show a still further embodiment for holding asafety-razor, Fig. 15 being a cross-sectional view of the Containerinfully-opened position and Fig. 16 being an end elevational view of theclosed container in inverted position;

, Fig. 17 is an end elevational view of a further enibodimenty Fig.'- 18illustrates a furtherembodiment. of the container in opened positionwith the'base tray'be'ing in i clined position;v

Fig. 19 shows a further embodiment with the container parts in openedposition;

Figs. 20 and 21 show a further embodiment, Fig. 20 being an endelevational viewwith the cover tray half opened and Fig. 21 being alongitudinal cross-sectional view along the line XXI-XXI of Fig. 20;

Fig. 22 is an end elevational view of a closed container with supportingmeans being simultaneously locking means and applicable to all of theembodiments, and

Fig. 23 is a top plan view of the container shown in Fig. 22.

In the case of the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4,the lower part or base tray consists of the front wall 1, the rear wall2, the end walls 21 and 22, and the bottom 23. The front wall 1'ispreferably higher than the rear wall 2 so that the upper edges of theend walls 21 and 22 slope downwardly towards the rear wall. The frontwall of the cover is designated as 3 and its rear wall as 4. Reverselyto the bottom part, the front wall 3 of the cover is of less depth thanthe rear wall 4.

In accordance with the invention, the cover tray fitted into the lowerbox part is rotatable inwardly into the base tray about the lower edgeof the front wall as the axis of rotation. The front wall 3, therefore,is hereinafter referred to as the rotary wall. The rotatability, inaccordance with the invention, is achieved by the fact that the wallopposite of the rotary edge 5, i.e. the rear wall 4 of the cover, in itssection 7 located above the rotary edge 5, is shaped cylindrically onits outer face with respect to the rotary edge 5, with the radius Rshown as a broken line. The cylindrical shape permits the cover to berotated inwardly, said rotation being effected clockwise in the case ofthe drawing. Preferably, but not necessarily, the invention is formed insuch a manner that the rotary wall 3 provided with the rotary edge 5 islikewise shaped cylindrically on its outer face so as to present asegment of a'cylinder when taken together with the opposite wall 7 whichserves as the shovel edge. In this case, the radius R represents thediameter of the cylinder, which has its axis about in the middle betweenthe walls 3 and 4 and parallel to the rotary edge 5.

The radius R shown in Fig. 1 illustrates the minimum of curvaturerequired. Preferably, the curve of the section 7 and of the part of thewall 9 joining this section is shaped cylindrically.

In the case of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1,. 3, and 4, thecylindrical curve of the upper and rear walls of the cover tray isadvantageous but not indispensable. If the rotary edge 5 does not extendbelow the plane of the upper edge 8 of the rear wall of the base tray,both the curve of the rotary wall or adjoining cover end wall parts andthe curve of the section 7 may be. absent (Fig. 5).

As the cover is rotated inwardly, the lower edge 6 of the cover wall 4,like a shovel, grasps under the article contained in the base tray,e.g., the piece of soap S as shown in Fig. 3. The wall 4 is, therefore,hereinafter referred to as the shovel edge wall or shovel wall. For thescooping motion, it is advantageous for the curvature of the section 7and of the cover tray top wall 9 to be approximately that of alcylinderassumed in the box (Fig. 6), said cylinder contacting the base tray rearwall 2 and being continued by the curvature of curved members arrangedin the angle formed by the rear wall and the bottom of the base tray sothat the section 7 and also the shovel edge 6, as a whole, move up anddown in the periphery of the rear'cylinder section. ,When the coverisinverted into the position of use and back into the closed position,the cylinder axis moves to and fro in a nearly constant height in themiddle of the base tray. When the cover is completely inverted into theposition of use (by about 150--Figs. 4 and 5), it slides fully under thepiece of soap S which is now assume" presented to the user in a freelyaccessible inclined position, one in which the soap is capable of dryingwell.

Thus, the problem of displaying the soap for use is solved by theinvention without any difficulty by simply inverting the cover. The soapbox with the cover inverted as shown in Fig. 4 represents a real soapdish which finds place on the wash-stand without requiring more spacethan its base area, since a hinged cover standing far off sidewards isnot existent. Thus, the soap box of the invention, which can be made ofany suitable material, but preferably of plastic material, represents auseful and novel container.

On the upper surface 9 of the cover there are preferably arranged one orseveral ribs 9a extending from the rotary wall 3 to the shovel wall 4and provided, at each of their ends adjacent the rotary wall 3, with aslope 11 which, after inversion of the cover, sinks into the base trayand frictionally engages the upper edge 8 of the base tray rear wall 2located externally before the shovel wall (Fig. 4). Thereby, the cover,when in position for use as a soap tray, is given a fixed andnon-displaceable position in the lower base tray. Instead of the ribs9a, a step 11a (Fig. 6) may be provided between the rotary wall 3 andthe upper face 9 of the cover, the said step frictionally engaging theupper edge 8 of the rear wall 2 of the base tray (Fig. 8) and holdingthe cover in its place after inversion. The step may also consist of therotary wall itself sunk into the base tray and of the blade 19 supportedby the upper edge of the base tray front wall 1 (Fig. 6).

0n the inside of the cover top wall 9 and on the inside of the bottom 23of the base tray, there are provided one or several ribs 12 and 10,respectively, extending from the rotary edge 5 to the shovel edge 6 andbetween the walls 1 and 2 of the base tray adjacent said edges. The endsof these ribs terminate on both sides in slopes or curvatures, the ribs12 in the slope 13 guiding the soap in and in the slope 14 guiding thesoap out, and the ribs 10 in the curved sections 15- and 15 The ribs10.and 12 serve the purpose of supporting the piece of soap S and givingit a dry position, and the slopes 13 in connection with the ribs 12 andthe slopes 14, respectively, serve the purpose of. putting the pieceright for use so as to have it lying in the middle of the soap tray whenin position of use as shown in Fig. 4. Moreover, the slopes 13 preventthe soap from passing into the cover inedgewise position and whiletoppling over, and move it into the inclined position as shown in thedrawing. They also form a water pocket. The curved sections 15 and 15serve the purpose of guiding the shoveledge in the process of openingand closing the box. The front curved members 15 also serve the purposeof balancing pieces of soap, which are largely used up and have becomethin, after they have been lifted by the shovel edge 6 and untiltheyhave passed beneath the center: of mass and have been passed overinto the cover tray. Also, both of the slopes put the soap right for usein the middle of the base tray. For gripping and inverting the cover,the said cover is provided at the rotary wall 3 or at the top wall 9, orat the joint of these walls, with one or several blades 19, serving as agrip or grips and extending outwardly and also preventing the coverfront wall 3 from sinking into the base tray.

In the interior of the base tray in front of the base tray rear wall'2adjacent the shovel wall 4 of the cover, there is provided a stop orstep16 on which the shovel edge 6 of the covertakes support in its finalclosed position (Fig. 1). When the cover is inverted, the shovel edge 6slides off from the stop 16, whereupon the cover may be turned inwardlyinto the base tray of the box, In doing so, the shovel edge 6 glidesover the rear. slopes 15 and towards the interior of the base traygrasping like a shovel under the piece of soap S .(Fig. 3). When thecover is closed, the slopes 15 guide the shovel edge 6 back upon thestop 16.

. The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 6 corresponds to thatalready described with respect to the main parts. Here, the base trayend walls are as high as the base' tray front wall 1. In addition, eachof the end walls 21, 22 of the base tray is provided with stop means 30extending parallel to the bottom 23 of the base tray and lying freetowards the bottom. This stop means may either be a projectingreinforcement of the upper inner wall surface, which may extend fromfront to rear, as shown in Fig. 2, or a groove or recess cut into theend walls 21 and 22 as shown in Fig. 8, or a rib (Fig. 6). Moreover,each of the end walls 24 of the cover is provided with a stop pin 31which projects outwardly (see also Fig. 2). These stop means act in themanner of a bayonet catch and prevent the cover from being lifted out ofthe base tray. The pin 31 is advantageously arranged as the axis of theabove-mentioned cylinder assumed in the rear box part, i.e. at about thesame distance from the cover bottom, the curvature of the shovel walland cover bottom, the stop 16, and the base tray bottom 23, and the stop30 is arranged sufliciently close above the pin that, as the cover isinverted, it rolls ofi from below on the stop forcing the shovel edge tograsp under the soap S. Due to the arrangement of the pin, the samemoves along a symmetrical path in the middle of the base tray as shownin Figs. 5 and 6. At the front end of the path there is arfanged a stopsurface 30 lying free to the rear and directed downwardly (Fig. 8) sothat, as the cover is'inverted into the final closed position, the pinrolls off more towards the middle, and mechanicallyand compulsorilyrolls the cover off towards the middle so that it needs no longer bedrawn back manually. For cleaning, the cover is released from the lockedposition edgewise by diagonal turning and is removed.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 8 is a further modification of that shownin Fig. 6. The shovel wall 4 of the cover is provided with at least onestrip or tooth 32 which extends from the shovel edge 4 and projectstowards the rotary wall 3, serving as a support for the article to beplaced into the lower base tray, e.g., the piece of soap S. When thecover is inverted into its position of use, the teeth 32 take the pieceof soap S along (see also Fig. 2). The soap is then supported by theinner surface on the teeth and by the front slope 15. A furtheradvantage consists in that the soap does not stick to the base traybottom and does not spoil the same. The use of teeth is possible for allof the embodiments.

Inthe case of the embodiments shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8,,there is alsoshown an arrangement which provides a locking of the cover in its closedposition. It consists in that the upper marginal part 1a of the basetray front wall 1 is provided with a recess extending inwardly andrepresenting on its inside a hollow cylinder and that the fota'r ywallhas 'a'n'outer surface in form of a full cylinder having a radius ofcurvature which, for example, is different from and preferably smallerthan that of the hollow cylinder formed by the upper part of the basetray front wall 1. In the closed position of the cover (Figs. 6 and 7),the two cylinder halves fit into each other so that the cover issufliciently locked, i.e., jammed. The cylindrical recess 1a of thefront wall 1 of the base tray may extend over the whole width or onlypart thereof. It may also be advantageously arranged at the from partsof the end walls of the base tray.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 9 to 14 is based on that of Figs. 1, 3,and 4. The base tray end walls have invariable heights above the bottom23 and the same height as that of the front wall 1. At each of the endwalls 21 and 22 of the base tray, slightly below their upper edges,there are provided stop ribs 40 projecting inwardly and extending fromthe rotary wall 3 to the shovel wall 4. Moreover, each of the end walls24 of the cover is provided with outwardly projecting curved members41-43 cooperating with the stop ribs 40 to invert the cover into itsfinal position in the middle of the base tray. These curved membersconsist of three sections, viz., a straight-lined middle section 41which, with the cover in closed position, extends parallel to the rib40, and two end sections 42 and 43 (Figs. 9 to 14). The section 42 isdesigned as a full-eccentric which, when the cover is inverted, rollsoff from below on the stop rib 40 as shown by Fig. 9 in the initialposition, by Figs. 10 and 11 in intermediate positions, and by Fig. 12in the final open position. In this final open position, the shovel wall4 with its shovel edge '6 engages the base tray front wall 1 from theinterior while the rounded part between the rotary wall 3 and the upperside 9 of the cover located above the blade 19 is frictionally sunkbefore the upper edge 8 of the base tray rear wall 2. The sections 41and 43 come to action when the cover is returned into its closedposition. For closing the cover, it is turned counterclockwise. When theblade 19 is lifted, the hollow-eccentric curved section 43 first strikesthe rear edge of the stop rib 40. The edge has the eifect of astationary pivot 40a, about which first the curved section 43 and thenthe middle section 41 rotate glidingly. Thereby, the shovel part of thecover, while gliding over the bottom 23, is drawn to the rear, turnedinto the proper closed position at the pivot 40a, and the shovel edge 6is levered on the step 16, this being finally achieved with theassistance of the surface of the rib 40. The locking and releasing ofthe cover and base tray are effected in the manner of a bayonet catchand compulsorily. The removal and assembly of the parts of the containermay be facilitated by chamfering the projecting parts.

Figs. 15 and 16 show an angular hook 32a which is arranged about in themiddle of the cover and which, as the tooth, is open to the front andfrom which an article, e.g. a safety-razor, can be removed forward.However, in addition to the turning of the article by means of teeth asdescribed above, the invention permits the display of the articlewithout moving it at all, this being achieved by inverting the base trayrather than the cover, in which case the article is left in the coverwhich is now used as the base (Fig. 16). After this inversion by movingthe base tray beneath the cover, the box is given back its normalposition in accordance with the invention without having moved thearticle when opening the container.

In Figs. 15, 16, and 17, the cover bottom 9 and the blade 19 arecombined to form a chute from which the article, e.g. the piece of soap,due to the particular position given the cover and base tray as the oneis moved beneath the other, automatically glides into the hand of theuser as early as during the opening process (Fig. 18). In the case ofthis box, the cover is not turned widthwise butin transverse directionthereto. The rotary wall 3 is omitted and, instead of the section 7, theadjoining edges 24a of the cover end walls are cylindrically roundeddownward and inward in the manner described above.

In the case of this embodiment, a further locking of the cover in openposition is shown, this locking consisting in that the front part of thestop 30 is provided with a step 30b lying free in forward direction andin which the pin 31 snaps in by lifting the cover rear part by means ofa slope 23a arranged on the base tray bottom 23 and ascending forwardbeneath the step 30b. In an analogous manner, in the case of Figs. 9 and16, a step 42a is provided at the lower edge of the fulleccentric 42 tocatch the front end of the stop rib 40. To facilitate the process ofinverting the base tray under the cover, the base tray is provided atthe outer faces of each of the longitudinal walls 1 and2 with a grip rib55 having finger supports extending from both ends of the grip rib tothe base tray upper edge.

Instead of the cylindrical curve of the section 7 in upward and forwarddirection, Fig. 18 also shows the cylindrical curve of the rotary wall 3in downward and rearward direction, likewise with the radius R drawn.

from the joint of the cover rear wall and the'top wall 9 and as aminimum of curvature. .Thereby, the proper rotary wall 3 may beeliminated in part or completely so that the cover end wall partsadjoining the same "show the curve. The curvature in downward directionis advantageous especially in case of boxes, the covers of which areintended to be inverted in the direction to the narrow side of the basetray rather than widthwise.

In the case of the embodiment shown in Figs. 20 and 21, the bottom 23 ofthe base tray is provided on its inner surface with ribs 50 which arepreferably elevated,extend from the wall 1 to the wall 2, and which, asthe ribs 10, terminate with curvatures 15 in the said walls. The ribsand the curvatures move into engagement withv grooves or slots 51chiefly extending over the section 7 and part of the cover top wall 9when the cover is inverted into the position of use. The recesses orgrooves 51 are preferably identical with the guide-in slopes 13 of thecover. In final closed position, they are filled out or closed, similarto the slots, by the curves 15 of the base tray. The slots or openingsin the recesses impart the soap a certain aeration when the box isclosed.

Figs. 22 and 23 show a further arrangement which, deviating from thelocking means already described with reference to Figs. 6 to 8, providesa locking of the cover in its final position. For this purpose, the.projection 60 preferably in the form of a ball section or of a knobbecomes effective between an end wall 21, 22 of the base and theadjacent end wall 24 of the cover, said-projection being provided at oneof the parts and taking frictional contact between said walls orengaging a recess of the opposite wall when the box is closed, thuslocking the latter. A locking device of this kind may be provided at asuitable point of all of the embodiments described for both the closedposition and the opened position if the base tray front and rear'wallsare of equal heights.

What is claimed is:

l. A container comprising a base tray including a bottom wall integralwith opposed front and rear walls connected at opposite ends by endwalls and an invertible cover tray including a top wall integral withopposed front and rear walls and connecting end walls, said traysincluding abutment portions orienting the cover tray in overlyingclosing relation to said base tray, said base tray including guide meansextending from the inner surface of the rear Wall of said base trayalong the bottom wall thereof and merging into the inner surface of thefront wall of the same, said cover tray including a transverse rear edgeon the rear Wall thereof guidingly engageable with said guide means in arotary and sliding movement thereon for disposing said cover tray in anoriented inverted inclined position within said base tray as thetransverse edge sweeps across the inner surface of the bottom wall ofsaid base tray.

-8 2.' The structure of claim 1 in which said guide means includes astep portion on the inner surface of the rear Wall of the base tray,said step portion abuttingly engageable with the edge of the rear wallof said cover tray to orient said cover tray in closing relation to saidbottom tray.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said abutment portions include ablade element extending forwardly from the cover tray and engageablewith the upper edge of the front wall of said base tray and abuttinglyengageable with the rear edge of the back wall of said base tray whenthe cover tray is inverted and inclined within said base tray.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which the cover and bottom trays includecooperating abutment means between adjacent end wall surfaces forpermitting pivotal and slidable movement between said trays andpreventing separation of the same.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which said abutment means compriseslaterally projecting ribs on the inner surfaces of the end walls of saidbase tray, and laterally projecting pins on the outer surfaces of theend wallsof said cover tray and positionable beneath the ribs of saidbase tray.

6.'The structure of claim 4 in which said abutment means comprises aninwardly projecting rib on the end walls of said base tray and parallelto the bottom wall thereof, and camming portions on the outer surface ofthe end walls of said cover tray guidingly engaging said ribs.

7. The structure of claim 1 in which said cover tray includes upwardlyopening grooves on the upper surface thereof and in alignment with theguide means within said. base tray, said grooves slidingly engaging saidguide means when said cover tray is moved from a closing to an invertedcondition relative to said base tray.

8. The structure of claim 1 in which said cover tray includes spaced ribportions extending between the inner surfaces of the side walls andalong the inner surface of the top wall thereof for supporting a pieceof soap orthe like in a readily acceptable position to be grasped whenthe cover tray is inverted within said base tray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.120,982 Bernikow June 11, 1940 2,122,158 Segal June 28, 1938 2,199,008Oshei Apr. 30, 1940 2,304,307 Hollis Dec. 8, 1942 2,430,707 Cahn Nov.11, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 188,060 Austria Dec. 27,

